Smiles and Tears
by tripthelight-x
Summary: After four years of marriage, the Captain, Maria and their eight children set off for a new life in America. Along the way the family gets separated. Can they ever be reunited in this strange new country? First chapter has been revised!
1. The Journey

_A/N: Well, here goes! My first Sound of Music fic! I hope you enjoy it and leave me nice comments :) constructive criticism is also good so feel free to point things out!!_

_I have to say I'm not too good with dates, so I've just ad-libbed. It shouldn't (hopefully) take anything away from the story. _

_Disclaimer: I own two copies of TSOM on DVD but not the real thing..._

_Edit: I have just re-read this chapter and was appalled at all my spelling mistakes! I have hopefully changed them all. Sorry!_

--

The von Trapps had stayed in Switzerland for four years before they decided to travel to America. They had come to terms with the fact they could never go back to the villa in Austria, and so had made the choice to travel across the globe, as many others were doing.

They had carefully created a detailed plan, how they were to get to England from Switzerland, what to do if they got separated, the details of the place they should contact if anyone got left behind, they had even spent an hour an evening learning English. Everything and anything was prepared for.

One day in March they set off for England, and having reached their destination a month later, they boarded the ship which would take them to a new life.

--

"How long is it now?" Gretl asked Liesl, sitting up on her bed.

"I'm not too sure, but I think we must be almost there!" Liesl replied, smiling at her younger sister.

Gretl nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer she had been given, or at least accepting that she would get no further information. The room in which the sisters were sat housed 6 beds, one for Liesl, one for Louisa, one for Brigitta, one for Marta, one for Gretl and one for Anna, the youngest member of the family. They were pushed close together as the room was only small, but they obviously weren't expecting 6 people in one bedroom. Whoever 'they' were.

Louisa burst into the room and both girls sat up, "Come quickly!" Louisa said, and with that short outburst promptly disappeared again.

Liesl and Gretl ran out into the corridor, only to be greeted by five other members of the family.

"What is it?" Liesl asked, not particularly directing the question to anyone.

"Let's find out!" Maria said, cheerfully and strode off, leaving Brigitta, Marta, Liesl , Gretl , Georg and Anna, who laid in her father's arms, to follow behind.

They reached the hull off the ship to find the other three people in their party jumping and shouting. The other's did not realise what the commotion was about until it was pointed out to them by Kurt.

"Look! Can you see it? That statue there! The lady with her arm raised in the air!"

They squinted into the distance, and sure enough, slowly getting bigger, was the Statue of Liberty.

--

Everyone had gone back to their rooms to pack up their things, ready to depart from the ship. People raced across corridors, crying out to each other, holding books and odd socks as they packed.

"Where's my hairbrush?" Brigitta cried, uncharacteristically, "Marta! You had it last!"

"I don't know!" Marta replied, "Go and ask Mother!"

Brigitta ran out of the girls bedroom, into her parent's room. They too were hurriedly packing.

"What is it Brigitta?" her Father asked, tearing his attention away from the pile of books he was putting into a bag.

"I've lost my hairbrush! Marta took it yesterday and now she doesn't know where it is and I was bought..."

She was cut of by Maria, who handed her the brush. "It was left in here! Stop panicking, darling! It doesn't suit you!" Brigitta was instantly calmed by her mother's smile. She sighed and went back to her room.

After a while the chaos had subsided, and people were starting to leave their rooms after checking under the beds and in every drawer to make sure nothing had been left behind.

The von Trapps, filed out into the corridor from the girls room (the biggest of the three) after going over the plan yet again. They lined up in the predetermined order, Georg at the front, followed by the children in ascending age order, Gretl to Liesl, with Maria at the back holding Anna. After a final check to make sure they had everything, they headed toward the exit.

Nothing was to break the line, the plan said. However, the throngs of people rushing forward made keeping the order harder than anyone had planned. Georg glanced back occasionally, making sure everyone was there, and Maria kept counting the children, only to panic that there were seven in front of her instead of eight, then realising she was holding the eighth.

After a few minutes of pushing and shoving, Anna cried out.

"What's the matter, little one?" Maria asked soothingly,

"Cuppy!" the three year-old shouted. Cuppy was Anna's toy rabbit. The one thing she couldn't live without. And she'd dropped it.

"Sorry, darling," Maria consoled, "We'll get you a new Cuppy in America. Your father won't be happy if the line gets broken!"

"Cuppy!" Anna screamed, "CUPPY!" she started to yell, wriggling in her mothers arms, throwing herself as far as she could toward the fallen stuffed animal.

"Stop it! Anna!" Maria cried, the little girl had succeeded in breaking away from her mothers grasp, and started toward he toy on her unsteady feet. "Anna! Come back!" Maria was loosing sight of her daughter, she dashed towards where the rabbit had fallen, and sure enough there was Anna, sat on the floor cradling and singing to Cuppy.

Maria stooped down to pick her back up, and as she did so someone's heavy suitcase collided with the back of her head. She fell and blacked out, and as she drifted into unconsciousness she could hear Anna crying to her.

--

_I feel evil! Please review! One who can guess where I got the name Cuppy gets 20 points!! _


	2. Finding Our Feet

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It was very encouraging and helpful, and as this is only my second fic I need all the encouragement and help I can get!_

_Yeah, I got Cuppy from The Parent Trap...cheesy, I know!_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review it!!_

_Disclaimer: I have £10 to my name...if I owned The Sound of Music, it would be a lot more! _

_--_

Maria stood on the edge of a very high cliff, an old, rickety bridge in front of her.

On the other side of the bridge stood eight people, calling for her.

She stepped onto the bridge, and walked steadily. She kept her eyes locked onto the man on the opposite side's, willing herself not to look down.

She heard a small child cry behind her, and turned round quickly. The force caused the bridge to weaken.

Maria saw Anna crying, holding her arms out in front of her, desperate for her mother to comfort her. Maria began to walk back to the place she had started from, to do as her child wished. But the bridge could take no more. The wooden planks under her feet started to snap, creating a chain reaction.

She turned back towards the larger group of people. They were still willing her across. Only the children's father stood silent, a pained look on his face. He knew what was about to happen, just as Maria did.

She couldn't hold onto the straggly pieces of rope any longer, it was cutting into her hands. She took a deep breath, and let go.

She was falling. Down, down, down. This is it, she thought, the end. Until a strong pair of arms caught her. But it didn't feel like they'd caught her. It felt like they were scooping her up. Her mind tried to make sense of the situation, but it couldn't, it became harder for Maria to think. She struggled with her disappearing thoughts, until she could struggle no more.

--

Maria woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Her head was still foggy, and her vision blurred but Maria could just make out the rows of beds either side of her.

She brought up a shaky hand to rub her head and tried to remember the events that had lead up to her being here.

She remembered a cliff and a bridge. Where they real? Did that happen? She could see Anna, holding her arms out.

Anna! Cuppy, America, the ship, hitting her head! It all came back to her in a rush. Her eyes focused and her head cleared. She looked around, desperate to make out her surroundings.

The warm feeling, which had suddenly come over her, disappeared. Where was Anna? She couldn't hear her crying, she couldn't see her anywhere.

"Anna?" Maria tried to shout, but only a small croak came from her mouth. "Anna?" She tried again, this time it was more understandable. She lifted the covers from her legs, swung out of bed and stood up. Maria ignored the light-headed feeling which came over her. "Anna!" she cried again, this time it came out as intended.

A woman rushed over to Maria, and started to say things she couldn't understand. The woman ushered Maria back into bed, but Maria tried to protest. "Anna!" she cried, "I've lost my little girl! She was with me!" The woman smiled at her, but said nothing. She obviously didn't understand Maria.

The man in the next bed said something to the woman.

The women suddenly looked as if she understood Maria now, and not as if she were some raging mad-woman. The woman asked Maria something, but Maria looked blank. All she had understood was 'Anna'.

The man in the bed turned to Maria, "You daughter. She's called Anna, right?" Maria nodded, still quite confused. "What does she look like? How old is she?" he asked, apparently relaying the questions the woman had asked him.

"She's three. She has blonde hair, just past her shoulders. And really blue eyes. I can't remember what dress she has on though!" Maria's eyes started to well up. The woman put her arm around Maria while the man relayed the information. The woman took her arm from round Maria's shoulders, and went to find Anna. "What did she say?" Maria sniffed, tearfully.

"She's in the nursery. Apparently everyone was amazed by how blue her eyes were."

Maria chuckled. "I can imagine."

"I'm Joseph, by the way."

"Maria." she sighed, slightly reassured by the apparent sighting of her daughter.

Joseph was younger than Maria, or at least he looked it. Maria guessed he was around 26, but she'd never been good at guessing people's ages. That's why she'd asked the children for theirs on her first day. He had dark brown hair, which sat messily on the top of his head and dark brown eyes to match. Maria guessed he was tall, at least as tall as the Captain, if not taller, but as he was laid in his hospital bed, she couldn't really tell.

"Where are we?" she asked,

"A hospital. I'm not sure what it's called."

"Hospital? How did I get here?" Maria confusion returned.

"You were on the ship from England, weren't you? Someone will have found you. I heard them talking, you bumped your head pretty hard. You've been unconscious for two days."

"Two days?! Who's been looking after Anna? Where are Georg and the children?" She began to panic.

"Whoa! If Anna's in the nursery they will be looking after her! And I don't know who the others are, so I can't answer you."

Maria was getting out of bed again.

"Where are you going now?"

"I've got to find them!"

"You did bump your head hard, didn't you? Just get back in bed! The nurse will bring Anna to you!"

Maria was, once again, about to protest, but before she could she was interrupted by the nurse returning. With Anna in her arms.

Maria took Anna and squeezed her tight. "Ouch!" Anna complained.

"Sorry, darling! I was so worried about you!" Maria grinned at her daughter.

"Cuppy wants hug too!" Anna thrust Cuppy into her mothers face.

"You got him back then?" Anna nodded, triumphantly. Maria obeyed and hugged the stuffed rabbit.

The nurse was joined at the end of Maria's bed by a doctor. He said something in English and Joseph, apparently, told the doctor that Maria couldn't speak English.

"Ah, ok." the doctor said, in German this time. "Well...Maria, is it? We haven't had a name for you these past two days. Well, Maria," he continued, after receiving confirmation that Maria was her name, "Seen as you are up and well, I see no reason why you can't be on your way."

Maria smiled, "Thank you so much! And can you tell the nurse thank you for finding Anna? I was taught a little English but it seems to have fallen out of my head!" The doctor laughed and passed Maria's gratitude to the nurse, who, in turn, smiled and nodded to Maria.

--

When everything had been sorted and Maria and Anna were ready to leave, she went to say goodbye to Joseph.

She found him, stood at the side of his bed, dressed and also ready to leave. He saw Maria approach and smiled. "I'm off home too!"

"Good! I'm happy for you!" Maria told him, "I just wanted to say thank you for everything."

"Thank you?" he looked puzzled, "What have I done?"

"Well, you helped to find Anna! You were the translator!"

"I suppose. Where are you going to go?"

"Well, Georg, that's my husband, wrote an address down that we were to go too if we got lost."

"What's the address? I might know it." Joseph asked, helpfully.

"It is..." The colour in Maria's face suddenly drained. "It's in the suitcase. Was I brought in with a suitcase?" she asked Joseph, maybe a little too viciously.

"No. Just you and Anna. And the rabbit obviously." Maria thought she was about to faint. She'd only ever done so once before, when she was pregnant with Anna, and did not wish to repeat the experience. Maria sat down on the chair beside Joseph's bed.

"Do you want me to call the doctor? You don't look well." Joseph observed.

"I...I...I've lost it. The address was in the suitcase. Georg wrote it down because I couldn't remember it. I have nowhere to go. What about Anna? What do we do?" Tears once again formed in Maria's eyes. She took deep, shaky breaths.

"Weeeellll," Joseph started, "I know someone who has somewhere you could stay."

Maria looked up hopefully, she gestured for him to carry on.

"Well, she moved here from Germany, two years ago. She owns a little dressmakers shop. She has an apartment above it, to rent. But the only thing is, the apartment comes with a job. In the dressmakers."

Maria grinned, "That would be perfect. I don't have any money though. I mean to pay for it."

"We'll talk to her. Let's go now! She might let you pay for it when you have the money."

"Ok." Maria agreed, "Then I can start looking for Georg and the children. I hope they're ok!"

"They will be." reassured Joseph, "Don't worry."

--

_Yeah! Another chapter down...I'm not sure how many to go! Please review so I know what you think! _


	3. Getting By

_A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! _

_Sorry this chapter has taken longer to get up! I've had my A-level exams for the past month! But they are done now, so that hopefully means more time to write!_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Sound of Music. If you recognise anything it probably isn't mine._

--

Joseph tried to talk to Maria while they walked the bustling streets of America, but she wasn't listening. She didn't mean to be rude or ignorant, if anything, those were the very last things she wanted to be to someone who was the only friend she had at the minute.

She wasn't listening because she was scouring the streets with her eyes, looking for any sign of her family. She saw plenty of people, and occasionally her heart would miss a beat when she spotted a tall, dark haired man or a group of children, but they would turn around, or start speaking perfect English, and her heart would drop.

When they reached the dressmakers, Joseph realised that the sparkle he had seen in Maria's eyes, when Anna had been returned to her, had vanished completely. Joseph wanted to cheer her up, if only a little.

"This is it!" he said, warmly,

"Mmm-hmm," Maria replied, trying to smile, "It looks nice."

"Come on." Joseph stepped in, and the bell tinkered when it opened, which made Anna giggle. This seemed to cheer Maria up slightly.

A woman, who apparently owned the shop, stepped forward from behind the counter, where she had been scribbling furiously onto a scrap of paper. She wasn't old, not really, around 50. She had a kind face, and was smaller than Maria; she was wider than her too. A mass of greying hair, which was curled neatly into a bun, sat on the back of her head.

Joseph raised his eyebrows at the woman's stern face.

"It's all these orders! I need more people, but no Americans want to work for someone who is from the place where Hitler came to power!" the woman sighed, answering Joseph's unasked question.

"So don't use Americans!" Joseph grabbed Maria's hand and guided her forward, towards the woman, "Ta-da!" he said, proudly, "This is Maria; she wants to work for you!"

"She does?" The woman turned her face from Joseph, to Maria and back again. Maria nodded.

"She will work for you," Joseph continued, "If you let her stay in the apartment above the shop."

"Really?" asked the woman, she looked as if she had just been told the war had ended, "I'll pay you. The apartment isn't anything special, but it is clean."

"It'll be fine. It's just," Maria looked quite embarrassed, "I don't have any money with me. Well, not much. I couldn't pay you for it. Not yet anyway."

"Don't worry about money! If you can get help me to get these orders done, you will be worth your weight in gold!" her face slightly dropped, "You can sew can't you?"

Maria grinned at her, a little of her old self coming through, "Yes, I can."

"Good! You'll be just perfect!"

--

Joseph had left Frau Schmied, who had finally been introduced by name, to show Maria and Anna around the small shop and apartment above it. Maria was happy with it, and it wouldn't be for long, she told herself, just until she found Georg.

The older woman explained the work Maria would be doing, and they agreed on the amount of money which would go towards paying for the rent every month. Month, thought Maria, how many months? The thought worried her, and Anna, who sat on her mother's hip, obviously sensed it, as she reached up and kissed Maria's cheek, and then stroked it. Maria laughed and kissed the young girls nose in return.

The exchange amused Frau Schmied , "Look at you two! Aww, cherish these first few years with her, they grow up so fast!"

Maria smiled, the worry, temporarily, behind her, "I know! I can't believe she is three already!"

"Do you have any other children? You look so at ease, you must want more!"

"No, no more! We have seven others!"

"Seven children! My, you're only young aren't you? Eight all together?"

"Yes," the reaction reminded Maria of her own, when she first heard about the von Trapp children, "They're from my husband's first marriage. But they feel like my own as much as Anna does."

"So where are they? I don't think you'll fit another eight people in here." the older woman looked round nervously, obviously not enjoying the idea of so many children.

"No...no...they...they're with..." Maria struggled with the words, "They're with their father, we... we got separated...coming to America."

"Oh." was all Frau Schmied said, she seemed to understand. She stood there, leaving Maria to her thoughts for a few seconds, before saying, "We'll find them. I'll help. I know quite a few people with connections in high places; someone is bound to know where they are." She smiled encouragingly. Even though her suggestion appeared slightly feeble, Maria was touched by her offer to help. She nodded, and gave a small smile, the only things she were able to do at the minute.

"Tell me about them..." Frau Schmied said, "So I can help, I'll be on the lookout for you."

Maria breathed back the threatening tears, and began to tell her everything she could possibly think of that could help find them.

--

_Review please!_


	4. Birthday Girl

_A/N: Oops! It's only taken me FORVER to update! But I had to revise for my AS-Levels, then take them, then I don't really know what happened! Time just got away! Anyway, thank you for the lovely reviews once again; they really do inspire me to write more. _

_Disclaimer: Not mine :(_

--

Maria and Anna soon settled into life in America, with the help of Joseph and Frau Schmied. Maria had to admit that without them she would probably have given up hope of ever finding Georg and the children, especially as America was such a big country, but her new friends helped her keep hope. They looked for the family when they were out, spoke to people who might have seen them, and the thing which touched Maria the most, they talked to Anna about them. Maria often found Frau Schmied sat with Anna in her lap, asking her if she could remember her father, brothers and sisters, and Anna's reply was always a nod of the head. Frau Schmied would then make Anna tell her all about them, their names and what they looked like. This never failed to make Maria smile, however a part of her dreaded the day when Anna could no longer remember the colour of her father's eyes, or how the children's voices sounded when they sang. If she was being honest, Maria dreaded the day when sheherself could no longer remember how it felt to have Georg's arms wrapped around her waist, or how each of her children greeted her in a morning. But she kept smiling, not just for Anna's sake, but because it made her feel better in herself.

A new routine was settled into almost instantly after Maria and Anna's arrival. Maria worked in the dress shop for four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and on a Wednesday she and Anna went on errands for Frau Schmied. This was both Maria and Anna's favourite day of the week. They would go to the bakers, then the grocers, and then the haberdashery, before sitting in the park for a while, eating the sticky buns they had bought earlier that morning, while singing and playing games. Maria loved those Wednesday afternoons in the sun, just her and her daughter. On those afternoons she could sometimes, just for a minute, forget everything else, forget about the war, about leaving Austria, about losing her family, and in those few moments of bliss she was truly happy.

--

Three months after arriving in America, Anna celebrated her fourth birthday. The week before, Frau Schmied asked Maria how they celebrated the children's birthday when they were back home, and Maria told her about Georg and herself and occasionally Liesl, if it was one of the younger children's birthdays, decking the house with paper streamers and hand painted banners, when the children had gone to bed.

"Let's do that, then." Frau Schmied replied, "We will have a party for her, so she remembers her life with the rest of your family."

"Thank you." Maria said, "Thank you for everything you have done for us."

Frau Schmied smiled and hugged Maria, "It's ok. It's nice having people to talk to again. I will miss you so much when you find him." Frau Schmied pulled back and looked Maria in the eyes, "You will find them. I'm sure of it." Maria nodded, and was pulled back into the hug by the older woman.

The night before Anna's birthday, Maria, Frau Schmied and Joseph put up banners and decorations around the small apartment, ready for the next morning. It was all organised, Frau Schmied was closing the shop all day, despite Maria's protests about losing money, Joseph would pick up a cake on his way to the party tomorrow, and they would give Anna her presents after singing to her.

All the excitement cheered Maria up, it gave her a small piece of normality back, and for the first time in the last couple of months, she believed completely she and Anna would be reunited with Georg and the children soon.

The day went perfectly, Anna never stopped smiling, and the effect rubbed of on everyone else. They played games and sang for hours, Frau Schmied disappeared into the small kitchen and came back a few minutes later with a birthday cake, it was white with pink icing on the top which read "Happy Birthday Anna", it had four candles sitting on the top of it waiting to be blown out. Anna saw it and turned to look at her mother with a huge grin, "Sing now! You're meant to sing!" Maria laughed and began singing "Happy Birthday" to her daughter, with which Joseph and Frau Schmied joined in. When they had finished, Anna thrust Cuppy into the air, and demanded another chorus for him, and so the candles were relit, and "Happy Birthday" was sung again, this time to a toy rabbit.

After the cake had been eaten, or in Anna's case smeared across her mouth, the birthday girl received her presents.

Maria gave Anna a small doll, with long red curly hair, it was wearing a green gingham dress, "Mama, I love her! Can I name her?" Anna said,

"Of course Anna! What's it to be?" she smiled remembering the trouble that always followed when naming new dolls.

"Hmm..." Anna chewed her lip, thinking hard, "Rosie."

"Rosie? Are you sure?" Maria asked and when Anna nodded replied, "Well that was relatively quick!" Maria then gave Anna a pair of dresses she had made, one was light pink with white lace around the cuffs and the hem, and the other was plain white with a blue satin-like sash tied in a bow around the middle, Anna saw it and squealed, "The song!"

Maria smiled and nodded, "Do you like it?"

"Yes!" Anna cried, "Now I can be one of your favourite things!"

Maria laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug, "You already are! You always have, and always will be one of my _most _favourite things!"

"Thank you Mama!" she squealed, Maria smiled,

"You're very welcome, darling."

Then it was Frau Schmied's turn to give Anna her present. She had also made her a dress, it was pale pink, with lots of petticoats so it came out in the middle, it was decorated beautifully in sequins and beads that Maria imagined would shine amazingly when they caught the light. Anna grinned, held it against herself, and spun around the room. "I'm a princess!" she cried,

"No, you're much better than a princess! You're our Anna!" Frau Schmied smiled kindly,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Anna said, throwing herself into Frau Schmied's arms,

"It's quite alright. How often do you turn four?" the older women said.

"Right, my turn!" Joseph said, and handed his parcel over to Anna, who eagerly started to rip the wrapping off. Inside was a picture book, it was illustrated with pictures of Austria just how Maria remembered it. The green hills, majestic buildings, it was beautiful.

Maria closed her eyes, and she was back on top of her mountain, singing and dancing, she could see Austria, smell it, sense it.

"Mama? Mama?" Anna's voice broke her out of her daydream,

"Hmmm?" was all she could answer Anna with,

"It's a beautiful book, isn't it? It's just like home. Daddy would love it." Maria smiled, she had never referred to Georg as 'Daddy' to Anna, but it was all she ever called him now. One of those little 'American-isms' they would all start to pick up eventually.

"Yes, it's a gorgeous book. He would love it, so very much." Maria looked at Joseph and smiled, "Thank you."

"It's ok. I saw it and I had to buy it! We can't have Anna forgetting her roots can we?" Joseph cried before sweeping Anna up into the air and spinning her around while she squealed in delight.

--

Much more talking, singing and laughing pursued before Anna couldn't stifle her yawns anymore, and Maria had to practically carry the newly-turned four year-old into her bedroom.

"Thank you Mama," Anna said, sleepily,

"What for, darling?" Maria replied,

"My birthday."

"You're welcome Anna." Maria tucked the covers around Anna and kissed the top of her head, she had just reached the door when Anna spoke again,

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Daddy remembered my birthday?" Maria sighed sadly,

"I'm sure he did, sweetheart. I'm sure they all did."

"Good. I can't wait to see him."

"Neither can I. Goodnight Anna."

"Goodnight, Mama."

--

_Wow. I'm really depressing myself. Only two more chapters to go now! I'll try and get the next one up quicker than I did this one, but no promises! Xxx_


	5. The Marketplace

_A/N: Wow, I really am bad at updating this story aren't I?! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything. At all. Ever._

"Mama! Mama! Wake up!" Anna's frantic voice woke Maria abruptly, "Wake up!" the four year old then proceeded to jump on top of her mother, still shouting, "Wake up!"

"I'm awake, darling! Whatever's the matter?" Maria asked, still dazed from sleep, however worry managed to cloud her voice. A huge grin spread across Anna's small face.

"It's Wednesday! We're going to the park!" Anna's happiness was contagious and Maria found herself grinning along with her daughter.

After Anna had managed to calm down a little, and had put on her favourite dress (the white one with a blue satin sash) she dragged Maria by her hand out into the dazzling sunshine.

"Slow down Anna! We've got all day!" Maria laughed as her daughter proceeded in marching along the now familiar pavements towards the shops that littered the city. They bought everything on Frau Schmied's list, first from the bakers, then the haberdashery, as had become routine. They didn't go to the grocer today, they were going to visit the market which only came to town once a month and was filled with so many beautiful colours and sounds that Maria always saved some money so she could treat herself and Anna to something.

All the shopkeepers knew Maria and Anna by name now, and they, in turn, knew the shopkeepers name's as well. They all loved Anna, and she had them wrapped around her little finger. All she had to do was flutter her eyelashes and say 'please' in her baby voice and the lady in the haberdashery would give her free ribbons to tie in her doll's hair, or the baker would give her a gingerbread man while refusing the money Maria tried to give him for it. Maria had often attempted to tell Anna off for doing it, but when she looked into Anna's blue eyes, (exact replicas of her fathers) she always let her off.

They wandered hand in hand towards the large park, through the busy market, while Anna talked animatedly about the latest adventure she'd been on with her dolls. This one, as far as Maria could tell, involved a princess, a prince and a pony, Anna spoke so fast it was sometimes difficult to catch everything she said.

They went and sat at their usual spot, under a large tree, and passed the afternoon as usual. They played I-Spy, ate the cakes they had bought, and talked about what they might buy from the market. Anna wanted a ribbon for her own hair, which would match the one she had been given for her doll earlier in the day, Maria couldn't decide, her thoughts were scattered today. She couldn't pinpoint it, but something was definitely distracting her, making her look over her shoulder, scanning crowds in a manner which she hadn't done in a long time.

"Mama? Is something wrong?" Worry, not unlike the sort in Maria's tone this morning, entered Anna's voice, Maria looked at Anna and smiled,

"No, darling. Why would you think that?" Maria was having a difficult time keeping her eyes on Anna's face and not allowing them to wander towards the market place.

"You're not looking at me, Mama. You're far away." This was an expression Maria often used towards Anna, when she was daydreaming instead of doing whatever it is was she was supposed to be doing.

"I am today, aren't I? It must be the sun, it's making me daydream!" Maria grinned at her daughter, before reaching across and gathering her up into her arms. Anna giggled and squirmed,

"I'm big now! I'm not a baby! Don't cradle me!" despite her protests she continued to smile and laugh, as did Maria, when Anna had composed herself she continued, "Can we buy ribbons now?"

"Yes, Anna. We can buy ribbons now." Maria sighed; she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. No, not wrong - different.

Anna and Maria once again swung the arms that were linked together as they walked towards the busy market.

"Ribbons!" Anna cried in enthusiasm, pulling on her mother's arm as she spotted a stall overflowing with colourful ribbons.

"You are impatient, aren't you? Ok, if you help me to find the things on my list you can have some ribbons. Is that fair?" Anna looked put out, but then nodded slowly, to show she wasn't happy about the arrangement.

Maria ignored the look on her daughter's face, "Off we go! "

They went around the stalls, gathering and paying for items on the list Frau Schmied had compiled for Maria. Anna started to get bored, but the promise of a present kept her from complaining.

Maria started to collect 6 apples, as the list instructed, when she decided to comment on this lack of noise to Anna, "You're being awfully quiet to-" Maria had turned around to find Anna gone.

Maria felt the blood drain from her face, she was sure she was going to faint. "Anna!" she cried, "Anna! Not you too! Anna!" she turned, looking frantically for her small daughter amongst the busy crowds. She saw a wisp of blue satin and ran after it, calling as she went, "Anna! Come back!"

Was this what had made Maria uneasy? Had she someone already known she would lose the last of her family? No, she made herself think. Anna will have gone to the ribbons, that's were she was heading anyway. If the blue sash was her.

Maria ran through the crowds, after the blue sash that kept disappearing then reappearing, always just out of reach. She then heard Anna shouting, but she couldn't make out what she was saying. Was she in trouble? "Anna! Darling, I'm here, come back!" she started shouting.

The crowds seem to thin slightly now, and Maria realised they had reached the edge of the road. What could bring Anna out here? "Anna!" Maria pushed someone aside, too terrified to be polite, and as she did so, she heard Anna shout again. What was she saying? Maria knew it couldn't be what she thought it was. She headed toward where the shout had come from. How had Anna moved so quickly? She was barely 10 feet in front before. Maria was almost crying with fear now.

"Anna!" she cried in relief as the crowds completing disappeared and she saw her little girl. The fear returned; she was in someone's arms. "Stop!" Maria cried, "That's my daughter! Anna! Come back!" she ran towards Anna and the man, "Put her down! Anna!" the man turned to face Maria, "Please, she's all –"Maria stopped dead in her tracks, and swayed slightly. The ground did not feel very stable beneath her feet. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She managed to say one word through her sudden tears, "Georg?"


	6. Reunion

_A/N: Wow! Can this really be a new chapter? It's only been about two weeks since the last one was posted! Thank goodness for cancelled English Language lessons, they give me time to write!_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise from the film, The Sound of Music.

She managed to say one word through her sudden tears, "Georg?"

Maria couldn't move. She couldn't blink. She couldn't speak. She was frozen.

Her mind worked twice as fast to make up for the lack of physical activity. Was this real? Had she gone insane? Had losing Anna made her delusional? She swallowed, trying to soothe her suddenly dry throat. She saw Anna staring at her, "Momma?" she looked confused at Maria, her 4-year-old mind not comprehending why Maria hadn't run straight into her Daddy's arms.

"Maria?" Georg said warily, "Please don't cry Maria." Maria wiped her eyes, not aware she had tears streaming down her cheeks. The action sparked something in her brain, she realised she could now move. She gasped, her brain catching up with her eyes. He was here, stood in front of her. Her beautiful husband, who she had been so sure she would never see again, was standing in front of her, transferring their daughter to the floor from his arms so he could approach Maria.

"Georg!" she gasped again, and ran into his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest, he buried his face into her hair, breathing deeply. They stood like that for an immeasurable amount of time, it could have been seconds, and it could have been hours. They stood like that until Maria felt something pull on the bottom of her dress; she looked down to see Anna wrapping her arms around hers and Georg's legs. Georg had seen this too, and lent down to pick Anna up. "How are you, Anna?" Georg said to his daughter, as he lifted her with one arm, keeping the other around Maria's waist. Maria wrapped one of her arms around Anna too, not wanting to let either of them go.

"Happy." Anna sighed, which made Maria and Georg laugh, "And I'm four."

"I know you're four!" Georg chuckled, then turned more serious," We thought about you, sweetheart."

Georg looked at Maria, and saw the tears return to her eyes. She smiled at him and sighed, "I've missed you all so much; I can't believe you're really here. I feel if I let you go you'll disappear."

"Don't let go then." He smiled warmly at Maria, and then Anna, "Shall we move from out of the street?"

Maria hadn't noticed the disgruntled noises the people around them were making, she was too happy. However, even in her mind which had yet to fully catch up, it made sense to move from the busy street to somewhere quieter, where people would not try to push them out of the way.

Maria nodded, "That would probably be a good idea."

They moved towards a bench and sat down; Georg pulled Anna onto his lap and kept his arm wrapped tightly around Maria. "Tell me everything," he said solemnly, "tell me what happened." Maria took a deep breath and started telling him about the past year, starting from Anna losing Cuppy and Maria being knocked unconsciousness while trying to retrieve him, about Joseph being sent to help her (which she earnestly believed he was), finding Frau Schmied and working in her dress shop, Anna's birthday, everything she could remember she explained to him.

He nodded, and 'hmmm'ed, and smiled when Anna gave her input, until Maria had no more to tell him. "Your turn," she said, "I want to know what America has been like for you and the children."

So Georg started to talk, he told Maria they only noticed she and Anna weren't with them when they got off the boat, and the guards wouldn't let them back on even though the children were screaming and crying for their mother. Maria had a swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. He told her that they had stood at the harbour for 3 hours, but an ambulance, which Georg now realised probably contained Maria, was the last thing to exit the boat before the new passengers began filing on. He told her how they had been designated a house not far from where Maria had been living with Frau Schmied, and that he and the children spent the first four months in America combing the streets looking for the rest of their family, and how he still saw them looking for her whenever they went out. Tears rolled down Maria's cheeks as Georg told her of their children, anything and everything he could think of, and she was grateful for it all.

They only noticed how long they'd been sat there when Anna yawned loudly, attempting to stifle it with her small hands, and unsuccessfully trying to hide how tired she was. Georg rearranged her in his arms, so she was being cradled and could fall asleep more comfortably. He looked at Maria and stroked her cheek with the back of his free hand, "What are we going to do now? Do you want to come back with me? To come home?"

Maria smiled. Home. She hadn't felt at home in such a long time. But there were things she needed to do first. "Would you mind terribly if I went back to our house and told Frau Schmied where we are going? I need to collect our things together too." She looked up at him shyly, not wanting him to be offended. She was relieved to see he was smiling.

"Maria! You're shy! Since when have you become shy?" he laughed affectionately, "You should know by now, my love, that I can not refuse you anything."

She smiled back at him, "In that case, though I do not want you to, I think you should go home and tell the children. It would be too overwhelming if I just appeared. Do you have a car?" Georg nodded in confirmation, he did not like the sound of Maria's plan, although he could not deny it was logical, "You should go home for tonight, as Anna and I will, then come for us in the morning. Tell the children I love them very much and I can't wait to see them."

Georg nodded, "It's so hard for me to let you go, though." And, whether to emphasise the point or as a subconscious movement, Georg's arm tightened around Maria. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know. I feel like if you go now, I may never see you again, it seems too good to be real. But I have to say a proper goodbye to Frau Schmied. She has been so good to us; I could not bear just to disappear on her without saying thank you and goodbye."

Georg agreed to the plan, and walked Maria and Anna home. He did not go in; they both knew if he did, he would never be able to leave them. Anna woke up and being crying the instant she realised her Daddy was not staying with them. Once she had been calmed down, and reassured he would be back very early in the morning, Maria and Georg said goodnight. Not goodbye. They would never need to say goodbye again.


End file.
